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Goodbye monthly … hello weekly!
Welcome to the first WEEKLY edition of Urgent Care Access! This newsletter, now delivered to you every Thursday, includes news from the Urgent Care Association of America, practice management and clinical articles, vendor information, industry stories and much more. The new weekly format allows us to provide you with much more timely industry news than a monthly format. Enjoy!

UCAOA News

Sample Policy and Procedure ManualUCAOAShareWe are pleased to announce the 432-page Sample Policy and Procedure Manual "book" is available! The manual contains more than 250 sample policies, all specific to urgent care centers. It is provided on a flash drive and available in both .doc (editable) and .pdf formats. The flash drive also includes a Bonus Supplement of Clinical Policies.

Click here to review the PPM Table of Contents, order online, or download the printable order form!

DocuTAPOur Meaningful Use-certified EMR and Practice Management solution powers hundreds of urgent care clinics throughout the country. Document and manage urgent care, occupational medicine, and workers compensation patient visits efficiently with our easy-to-use interface. From online check-in to automated coding, DocuTAP has the tools to help you see more patients, capture more charges, and get paid faster. MORE

As we strive to supply urgent care professionals with education, services, and programs that improve the quality of care and raise the level of standards for this industry, their financial support and contributions are an integral part in enabling us to accomplish these goals.

Please join us in recognizing iTriage, DocuTAP, and Xpress ... and thanking all our Corporate Support Partners for their ongoing support!

Practice Management

Practice Management Article: No! No! No! Financing for Urgent CareUCAOAShareIn his January article, Alan Ayers, UCAOA's Practice Management Content Advisor, uses a timely retail analogy to demonstrate the importance of tight financial processes at your center's front desk. Key takeaway: insurance verification and collection of patient balances at time of service are two key things an urgent care operator can do to improve cash flow. Access the article here!

Practice Velocity Urgent Care EMROver 800 urgent care clinics in 49 states use Practice Velocity’s VelociDoc urgent care EMR, the only EMR originally designed specifically for urgent care in a real-life urgent care setting. Practice Velocity is the leader in urgent care solutions, including an EMR, practice management software, billing services and more.

Patient Resources

Patient Resource: Flu Vaccination Finder WidgetUCAOAShareInforming your patients about the current flu vaccine and how/where to get it is now even easier! Click here to download a free flu vaccination finder widget from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Grow Your Urgent Care PracticeOur marketing services are designed to help you reach new urgent care patients and connect with employers in need of occupational medicine services.MORE

JUCM

Now Online in JUCMUCAOAShareThis week we invite you to read the January issue and our clinical cover story on hand injuries, by Tracey Quail Davidoff, MD, who will be speaking on this same topic at the UCAOA convention in Las Vegas in April. Hand injuries are a common presenting complaint in the urgent care center and performing a thorough examination and understanding when to refer to a hand specialist are keys to an optimum outcome for you and your patients. Click here and turn to page 9 for what you need to know about how to assess and manage closed hand injuries from Dr. Davidoff, who is board-certified in internal medicine and has worked as an emergency physician and in urgent care.

Visit the JUCM website — www.jucm.com — to review our current issue, search the archives of JUCM articles dating back to 2006, check out web-exclusive articles, or sign up for FREE access to JUCM's digital edition.

JUCM, The Journal of Urgent Care Medicine, is the official publication and a benefit of membership of the UCAOA and UCCOP. JUCM is published every month and offers a mix of practical, peer-reviewed clinical and practice management articles that address the distinct needs of today's busy urgent care medicine clinician.

Industry News

AMA: EHRs linked to errors, harmInformationWeekShareA new American Medical Association report on patient safety in ambulatory care finds that safety problems are widespread but that little is known about which problems cause the most harm. Among the uncertainties cited by the AMA researchers is the contribution of electronic health records to patient safety.More

Retail labs give patients information, but needle doctorsVermont Public RadioShareLabs where folks can just walk in and order tests on themselves are popping up in retail centers across the country. Any Lab Test Now, for example, has 100 stores in almost three dozen states. And the company says it's opening five new labs a month. And there are at least three other national chains that are expanding.More

From Planning to Profits!
Starting an Urgent Care? Looking to maximize success while minimizing obstacles? NMN Consultants is the industry leader in assisting clinic start-ups throughout every step. With 100+ urgent care start-ups under contract, we have the experience to help you achieve SUCCESS! Services include: Site Selection, Business Plans, Staffing Models, Operations and more.

3 ways hospitals can help control healthcare costsHealthcare Finance NewsShareWith the growth of healthcare spending declining significantly to 3.9 percent in 2010, according to federal analysts, Americans are not the only ones looking to cut back on healthcare costs. Hospitals are looking for new ways to save money as costs escalate and reimbursements dwindle. From urgent care centers to satellite emergency departments to ambulatory surgery centers, they all incur less operating costs than a hospital's emergency room while providing financially impressive returns. More

The Footsteps for the Foundation walk is a chance for you to support the Urgent Care Foundation during UCAOA's National Urgent Care Convention.